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How to use this Dead Cells tier list
Use the tiers to shortlist unlocks or equipment for a run, then check how an item’s damage conditions, range, utility, and setup fit your build. A high placement does not mean a weapon is easy to use or universally best: some weapons depend on a particular action, target state, companion item, or willingness to accept risk. Pocket Gamer describes its rankings as considering base damage and critical damage alongside special effects and preference; they are editorial rankings, not a controlled comparison.
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The guide identifies itself as current to version 3.5.9. The official patch page records Update 35.9 on June 15, 2026, and its notes document the introduction of Misericorde and Anathema in Update 35 and later balance changes. Platform-specific release timing is not established here, so players should not assume every platform received updates on the same schedule. Official Dead Cells patch notes; Playdigious update summary.
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Melee weapons ranked
These are the melee placements in Pocket Gamer’s list:
#1 Best Overall
- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
| Tier | Melee weapons |
|---|---|
| S | Ferryman’s Lantern; Cursed Sword; War Spear; Tombstone; Flint; Oven Axe; Wrecking Ball; Giantkiller; Vampire Killer; Bible; Alucard’s Sword; Death’s Scythe; Misericorde. |
| A | Toothpick; Symmetrical Lance; Shrapnel Axes; Hattori’s Katana; Meat Skewer; Broadsword; Impaler; Crowbar; Twin Daggers; Hayabusa Boots; Vorpan; Shovel; Maw of the Deep; Rapier; Baseball Bat; Nutcracker; Pure Nail; Morning Star; Whip Sword; Sewing Scissors. |
| B | Balanced Blade; Flashing Fans; Spite Sword; Rusty Sword; Bone; Swift Sword; Frantic Sword; Iron Staff; Assassin’s Dagger; Rhythm n’ Bouzouki; Seismic Strike; Wrenching Whip; Oiled Sword; Hayabusa Gauntlets; Blood Sword; Panchaku; Gold Digger; Machete and Pistol; Hard Light Sword; Giant Comb. |
| C | Flawless; Sadist’s Stiletto; Valmont’s Whip; Torch; Abyssal Trident; Hand Hook; Spiked Boots; Bladed Tonfas; Dagger of Profit; Snake Fangs; Scythe Claw; Tentacle; King Scepter; Queen’s Rapier; Starfury; Spartan Sandals. |
Ranged weapons ranked
The source places Laser Glaive in both S and A. That duplicate is an inconsistency in the guide, not a second distinct weapon or a placement that can be resolved from the list itself.
| Tier | Ranged weapons |
|---|---|
| S | Money Shooter; Ice Crossbow; Throwable Objects; Heavy Crossbow; Multiple-nocks Bow; Sonic Carbine; Barrel Launcher; Fire Blast; Magic Missiles; Medusa’s Head; Anathema; Laser Glaive. |
| A | Chakram of the Queen; The Boy’s Axe; Peril Glyphs; Boomerang; Explosive Crossbow; Bow and Endless Quiver; Repeater Crossbow; Quick Bow; Laser Glaive; Gilded Yumi; Blowgun; Marksman’s Bow; Ice Shards; Cross; Throwing Axe. |
| B | Electric Whip; Lightning Bolt; War Javelin; Pyrotechnics; Nerves of Steel; Infantry Bow; Killing Deck; Hemorrhage. |
| C | Beginner’s Bow; Frost Blast; Ice Bow; Firebrands; Hokuto’s Bow; Magic Bow; Throwing Knife; Alchemic Carbine. |
Shields ranked
Shields are defensive tools, not another damage-only weapon category: they can block and parry, with effects that differ by shield. Their placement should be read in the context of that defensive role.
Rank #2
- Incredible 2D souls-lite action with more than 90 weapons and spells with nonlinear gameplay.
- Explore secret room, hidden passages, and charming landscapes. Stroll down towers and breath in that fresh sea mist infused air.
- Build your unique play style as you combat the adrenaline pumping threat of perm death in this unique game of the year!
| Tier | Shields |
|---|---|
| S | Spiked Shield; Greed Shield; Punishment; Knockback Shield; Alucard’s Shield. |
| A | Force Shield; Thunder Shield; Assault Shield; Front Line Shield; Ice Shield. |
| B | Rampart; Bloodthirsty Shield. |
| C | Old Wooden Shield; Cudgel; Parry Shield. |
Turrets ranked
| Tier | Turrets |
|---|---|
| S | Barnacle; Scavenged Bombard; Heavy Turret; Cleaver. |
| A | Double Crossb-o-matic; Sinew Slicer. |
| B | Tesla Coil. |
| C | Flamethrower Turret. |
Traps and miscellaneous powers ranked
| Tier | Traps and powers |
|---|---|
| S | Crusher. |
| A | Explosive Decoy. |
| B | Wolf Trap. |
| C | Night Light; Emergency Door. |
Grenades ranked
| Tier | Grenades |
|---|---|
| S | Powerful Grenade; Holy Water. |
| A | Infantry Grenade; Cluster Grenade; Magnetic Grenade. |
| B | Stun Grenade; Ice Grenade; Fire Grenade; Root Grenade; Oil Grenade; Swarm. |
| C | Hunter’s Grenade. |
What makes a weapon work for your build?
Check how its damage is earned
Base damage is only part of the practical comparison. Some weapons deal critical damage only after a specific action or against a target in a particular state. Pocket Gamer describes the Rapier as critting after a roll or parry, the Meat Skewer as reaching a critical second hit after moving behind a target, and Maw of the Deep as rooting and bleeding enemies with its shark throw so rooted targets become vulnerable to critical damage. Those conditions may suit an active play style or a build that can reliably create the required setup.
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Consider whether you can attack from a safer distance, or whether the weapon requires you to stay close and time an approach. Also account for utility beyond raw damage: root, bleed, freeze, and other control or status effects can change how easily you maintain pressure. Pocket Gamer’s examples include Pure Nail’s directional attacks and aerial bounce, which can make movement and attack direction relevant to its value.
Rank #3
- RogueVania: The progressive exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline pumping threat of permadeath.
- 2D Souls-lite Action: Tough but fair combat, the iconic dodge roll, more than 90 weapons and spells with unique gameplay… The unforgiving action wed to the absence of any kind of safety net makes for an adrenalin pumping ride each and every run.
- Nonlinear progression: Sewers, Ossuary or Ramparts? Once unlocked, special permanent abilities allow you to access new paths to reach your objective. Opt for the path that suits your current build, your play style, or just your mood.
- Exploration: Secret rooms, hidden passages, charming landscapes. Take a moment to stroll the towers and breath in that fresh sea mist infused air...
Account for dependencies and risk
Hard Light Sword is paired with Hard Light Gun: sword hits restore the gun’s ammunition, so judging the sword alone misses its linked mechanic. Misericorde and Anathema are curse-linked additions from Update 35; the official notes document later adjustments to Anathema’s damage and curse behavior, and to Misericorde’s curse condition. Their S placements should therefore be considered alongside the risk and rules of their curse mechanics, not as unconditional recommendations.
Pocket Gamer prints Ferryman’s Lantern figures of 164 base damage, 107 secondary damage, and 429 for its cited critical example; it says kills gather souls and firing three can produce critical hits. It also prints Maw of the Deep at 158 base and 270 critical damage. These are figures reported by that guide, not independently verified measurements, and should not be treated as a universal performance test.
Rank #4
- Play as an immortal Successor - You are a Successor, an immortal warrior empowered by the gods Lu, Ashuran, and Harnia. When you die, you revive with your gear, runes, and unlocks intact and head back out from Cliffshire to push further into corrupted zones. Choose your Successor - You'll start as the Spellblade and unlock additional Successors as you progress. Each has its own skill tree, weapons, and playstyle
- Playable Classes - Spellblade-Element-focused hybrid with close and mid-range attacks built around fire, frost, and lightning. Berserker - Heavy melee bruiser that trades its own HP and positioning for huge damage and armor. Hunter - Mobile ranged fighter using thrown weapons, poison, and beast abilities to apply damage over time and control space.
- 2D Roguelite Hack-and-Slash Combat - Combat revolves around precise dodges, reading telegraphed attacks, and committing to aggressive combos. Areas are multi-layered 2D stages that reshuffle enemy layouts, hazards, and loot each run. When you fall, you lose gold and temporary bonuses, but your gear and runes stay with you and form the base of your next attempt.
- Loot, Runes, and Artifacts - Hunt Elites and Bosses to claim Rune Stones, then craft them into Legendary and Mythic equipment. Runes and class skill trees interact to define your build, while artifacts you pick up mid-run stack into powerful synergies.
- Bonus Goodie - Poster is packed inside.
Which weapons should you unlock first?
If blueprint cells are limited, use the list as a shortlist rather than a strict purchase order. Start with a weapon whose condition you can trigger consistently and whose range or utility complements the rest of your loadout. For example, a player comfortable arranging enemy position may value a conditional melee weapon differently from someone who prefers ranged attacks; a shield can be valuable for defense even though its role is not directly comparable to damage rankings.
- Favor reliable attack conditions over a nominal tier if you rarely activate a weapon’s critical effect.
- Choose control or status utility when it supports the rest of your setup.
- Check whether an item depends on a partner weapon, such as Hard Light Sword and Hard Light Gun.
- Evaluate cursed weapons with their curse rules in mind rather than treating their tier as a recommendation to ignore risk.
Sources and ranking scope
The placements and weapon examples above are from Pocket Gamer’s Dead Cells weapons tier list, updated September 18, 2026 and labeled version 3.5.9. The official patch notes and Playdigious update summary provide version and mechanics context; they do not publish a complete comparative tier list.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- RogueVania: The progressive exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline pumping threat of permadeath.
- 2D Souls-lite Action: Tough but fair combat, the iconic dodge roll, more than 90 weapons and spells with unique gameplay… The unforgiving action wed to the absence of any kind of safety net makes for an adrenalin pumping ride each and every run.
- Nonlinear progression: Sewers, Ossuary or Ramparts? Once unlocked, special permanent abilities allow you to access new paths to reach your objective. Opt for the path that suits your current build, your play style, or just your mood.
- Exploration: Secret rooms, hidden passages, charming landscapes. Take a moment to stroll the towers and breath in that fresh sea mist infused air...
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
